Collapsible box



C. A. SCOTCHER. COLLAPSIBLE BOX. APPLICATION FILED JAN.22, 1920.

1,374,473. Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. SCOTCHER, OF BRAINTREE HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. O. CRAWFORD 00., ING, OF SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF MAINE.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application filed January 22, 1920. Serial No. 353,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Soo'roHER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Braintree Highlands, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement. in Collapsible Boxes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to collapsible boxes, preferably but not necessarily of the display t pe.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have dis closed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan v1ew of the blank from which the box or receptacle is preferably made;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the box in its. open condition; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view but representlng the same partially collapsed.

This invention in certain aspects thereof is an improvement upon that disclosed in the patent to George 0. Crawford, No. 715,026, dated December 2, 1902. Certain of the characteristic features of the collapsible box of said Crawford patent was the establishmentof certain lines of weakness in the line to permit each end of the box to fold v partly in one direction and partly in an opposite direction.

The said characteristic feature of'the box of the Crawford patent was effective for many purposes but was deficient in that there was an inherent tendency of the up standing ends of the box to collapse inwardly along said lines of weakness before the entire contents of the box had been removed, and particularly in those cases where the box contents consisted of layers of material positioned in parallelism with the bottom of the box or receptacle.

My invention overcomes such defect, and I have produced a box having all the advantages of the box of the said Crawford patent and certain other advantages as will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 1n its flat or spread condition in Fig. 1.

It consists desirably of a base or bottom 1, slde walls 2, 2 preferably integral therewlth, and ends walls 3, 3 also preferably lntegral therewith. Along the base. of the side walls 2, 2 I provide lines of weakness 4, 4' by scor1nor otherwise and similarly along the base of the ends 3, 3 I form lines of weakness 5, 5. Desirably the sides 2, 2' are formed at their upper edges with flanges or flaps 6, 6' as by providing lines of weakness 7, 7 I have represented the end 3 as having a flange or flap 8 with a line of weakness 9, and if desired the end 3' may have a similar flange or flap. The ends 3, 3' are here shown as provided with longitudinally extending flanges or flaps 10, 10' and 11, 11 by means of which they may be secured by an adhesive or otherwise to the upstanding sides 2, 2.

Desirably, but not necessarily, the preferred embodiment of my invention is a display box, and to that end the sides 2, 2 are made of less vertical extent atone end than at the other, the lines of weakness 7 7 converging substantially as indicated. This construction enables the contents of the box to be readily displayed whether the open receptacle be supported upon a horizontal surface or upon a surface somewhat inclined or tilted forwardly. I have herein represented the base 1 and the ends 3,3 as having a substantially median line of weakness 12 established by scoring or otherwise. Desirably this line of weakness is at'or near the actual median line of the bottom and ends viewing them longitudinally.

I provide means whereby the base 1 col- 'lapses throughout the greater ortion of its length along said line of wea ness 12 and whereby at its ends it collapses along lines diverging from said line of weakness 12, and in such manner as to permit the ends 3, 3 to be folded along their upstanding vertical lines of weakness 12 inwardly against tributing or sweep lines of weakness or scores 15, 16 at and near the apices of the triangular portion 17, 18 established with-- as, for example, by material positioned in layers parallel with the base 1. These layers, pressing as they do downwardly upon the base 1, hold the same in flat condition and effectually resist any tendency of the box I to collapse into the position shown in Fig. 1. As the'layers are removed, the remaining layers serve to hold the box in its open position and resist the said closing tendency, and this action continues so long as asingle layer remains in the box. In other words I have provided a construction wherein the box'contents acting against the bottom serve to hold the box in open position so long as any contents remain.

When the contents of the box have been entirely removed, the box may be collapsed by pressure directed inwardly against the ends 3, 3 along the score line 12, 12 in said ends. Such pressure may be directed against the ends at any point along the score lines in said ends and may be applied at the very base of the ends 3, 3'.

Furthermore the ends 3, 3 when infolded wholly along the vertical score line 12 are nested against'the folded triangular areas 17, 18 and are reenforced thereby so as effectually to prevent breakage of the ends when in a collapsed position due to rough handling. Inasmuch as the ends 3, 3"are folded throughout their lengths along a single line, there is no tendency of said ends to rupture along meeting score lines and any possible tendency of the base 1 to rupture at the meeting point of the score lines 12, 13,13, 14, 14 is effectually resisted and wholly prevented while thebox is in a collapsed condition, because said meetin points are wholly inclosed by or shielde by the folded ends or the folded together sides 2, 2'. Furthermore in a receptacle constructed in accordance with the said Crawford patent and wherein there is an inherent tendency of the base to fold upwardly along its median line, it will be apparent that under such condltions the base is supported only along its two longitudinal edges. In my construction, on the contrary,

not only does the base 1 rest flat upon its supporting surface so long as any contents remain in the box, but at all times the said base contacts with the supporting surface, not only along the score lines 4, 4 but also along the transverse score lines 5, 5' at the bottom of the ends 3, 3. This change reduces the wear upon the score lines 4, 4 and lengthens the life of the receptacle.

It will be evident that when, the receptacle has been folded into a collapsed position the two parts 6, 6 of the cover are brought into face contact with each other, but having the end cover extension folded upon itself between said two parts of the cover extending from the sides. In this manner I provide a box which in its collapsed position occupies a minimum thickness. This is of particular importance for packing and storing purposes. Thus the particular construction of the cover section; cooperates with the features permitting the box to collapse. Other advantages of the receptacle will be apparent without further description.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claim.

Claim: g g

A collapsible box formed from a single integral sheet of flexible material, and consisting of a base, rectangular in outline and adapted to fold along a longitudinal, median line, and upstandingside and end walls, each of said side walls having one-half a complete cover integral therewith, and extending from the' upper edge thereof, and one of the end walls having a prolongation constituting a partial cover, all of said cover portions being adapted when the box is filled to be folded inwardly upon the cony tents thereof, each of said end walls and including the cover extension of one end wall, being adapted to fold along a median line constituting a continuation of the said median line of the base, whereby the box may I r be collapsed along said median line to bring the coverportions extending'from the sides into face contact with each other, but having the end cover extension folded upon itself between them, thus providing a collapsed box and cover of minimum thickness for packing purposes.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

CHARLES A. SCOTGHER.

signed my 

